Knitting machine



Jan. 7,1947. F. J. FORD KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1943 ummmmmmnuu Q m& v R w n. N% m Mm m ww I Av v- NW MN. NW. 8 NQ \m w QNN w w N NR Q wk .wm mm 5:- m Wm QQ a a a REE/M.

' Jan. 7, 1947. 2,413,819

KNITTING MACHINE Fi led May 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 7, 1947. F. J. FORD KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 25, 19 45 4- Sheets-Sheet 5 5 v r i HQ. Q v 4 v m w Mm w Jan.- 7, 1947. F. J. FORD KNITTING MACHINE v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 25, 1943 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 7, 1947 KNITTING MACHINE Frank J. Ford, Worcester, Mass, assignor of onethird to Harry Whittaker, Oxford, and onethird to Max B. Striar, Worcester, Mass.

Application May 25, 1943, Serial No. 488,371

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and methods of knitting,

Objects of the invention include the provision of a, knitting machine having a single row of needles to which weft threads are fed at intervals, one weft thread being introduced to the needles in series between each rise thereof, in combination with a series of jacks guiding warp threads to be knit into a fabric with the weft threads, said fabric thereby including weft and warp threads knit in loops, wherein said jacks are provided with means to reciprocate the same in a direction transverse to the needles and the needle motion, to shift the warp threads from one needle to the next adjacent needle and then to shift the jacks back to the original needle, whereby double onset or right and left loops are formed in each Wale together with the chain loops of the wefts.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of novel power transmissions for a pair of jack cam rings and for the needle cam ring; the provision of novel warp guiding jacks; the provision of a novel slide mechanism for reciprocating the jacks; and the provision of a new and useful method of knitting.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a view in elevation of a cylinder knitting machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the support and drive for the weft bobbin ring;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of the drive f or the needle cam ring;

Fig. 4 is an elevational detail view'of the drive for the jack cam rings;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section showing the needle cam ring;

Fig. 7 is a still further enlarged view of the jack reciprocating mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the jack and slide support;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the slide support,

equally applicable to other types of knitters, and

I do not wish to be limited to the constructions shown except as recited in the appended claims.

The knitting machine here illustrated is supported on legs E0 or other base means, these legs supporting a frame or the like l2 and bracket 14. The latter journals a shaft !6 having fast and loose pulleys i8, 20, driven by a belt or the like 2| and shaft 16 extends under the edge of frame [2 and is also journaled therein or in a supporting leg as at 22. Shaft I6 is provided with a bevel gear 2d intermediate its length and another bevel gear 23 at its inner end, for the purpose of driving various cam rings, as will be explained.

A bracket 28 is mounted on frame l2, adjacent but above shaft l6, by means of a leg 353. This leg provides a journal for a vertical shaft 32 which is also journaled in a sleeve 34 forming a part of the bracket. Shaft 32 has a gear 36 fixed thereto in mesh with the intermediate gear 24 on shaft 16, and at its other end shaft 32 mounts a ear 38 in mesh with a gear 4!! on a stud shaft 42, the latter being mounted in bracket 28 and a vertical arm 44 thereof. A spur gear 46 is fast to the stud shaft 42 and is rotated therewith from belt 28 as above described.

Bobbins 48 are mounted on spindles on a large bobbin ring 50, these bobbins providing the Weft.

or cross threads in the fabric to be manufactured. The bobbin ring is toothed on its under side to mesh with the spur gear 46 and is thus rotated, carrying with it the bobbins, each of which unwinds as suitable guides not shown, lead the threads to the needles. The bobbin ring is arranged to ride on a supporting roller 52 mounted at the top of the bracket.

Diametrically across the bobbin ring from the mechanism just described, the construction is repeated in reverse, see Fig. 1. Roller 54 supports the bobbin ring which drives spur gear 56 mounted on bracket 51. In turn, spur gear 55 drives gears 58, (ill, shaft 62, gear B l, and a shaft 66 is thereby driven from shaft it, which is here aligned therewith. A hand wheel 88 is provided on shaft but obviously this shaft can be power driven also if desired. By this means the bobbin ring is balanced and rotates easily, any desired means, such as a center shaft being used to maintain the ring in central position. Whether shaft 6% is driven directly or by the bobbin ring, it is provided with a gear 70 similar to gear 26 on shaft I5.

.Fig. 3 shows the purpose of gears 26 and it, although only the latter is disclosed in relation to-the needle cam ring 12. The cam ring is toothed to mesh with gears 26 and 10 and is driven thereby in timed relation to the bobbin ring. A cam is shown at M, the cam slot at 16, and the needles l8 are reciprocably mounted in needle slots in the cylinder Bil as usual, and rise and fall in accordance with the speed of rotation of shafts l6 and 66.

Brackets 82 are supported on frame i2 and in turn mount a large fixed cylinder 84 the axis of which coincides with the axis of rotation of the bobbin ring and needle cam ring. This fixed cylinder is vertically slotted at close intervals on its interior, as at 86, see Figs. '7, 8 and 9. Further brackets 93 conveniently placed on frame l2 support an interior fixed cylinder 90 exteriorly slotted as at 92 correspondingly to slots 35. Cylinders 84 and 9!] are concentric and radially spaced, so that each slot 86 faces a slot 92. Inner cylinder 90 is divided at 94 for a purpose to be described. Brackets 88 rotatively support the lower jack guide cam ring to be described.

Warp threads are guided to the needles by jacks $38, the threads unwinding from fixed bobbins not shown but coming into the machine through eyes in. a guide ring me in a manner similar to that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,289,- 492, issued July 14, 1942, reference being had to guide ring element 86 therein. Jacks 98 are novel per se, but the principal novelty resides in the motion imparted thereto by sliding jack guides I02.

Jack cams or guides Hi2 are all similar and each comprises a central flat body 5% which is inclined with relation to end pieces I525, the

latter being parallel but offset due to the inclined central body I04. In the end pieces adjacent the junctions with the body Hi l there are provided pairs of tabs Hi8, Ht, which extend outwardly forming guiding means fitting slots 83 and 52, it being observed that the upper tabs 33 are located in slots two removed from the slots containing lower tabs H0, see Figs. '7 and 9.

Each jack 98 comprises spaced side plates having spacers I 52 securing the plate together in the correct relation. The jacks are assembled one to each jack guide, the latter being contained between two spacers, see Fig. 10, and the jack itself is located between the pairs of tabs I98, ill]. The shanks of the jacks extend inwardly radially of the cylinders projecting through the inner cylinder at the space 94, and terminating in the downturned fingers H4 containing guide eyes I it to guide the warp 95 to the needles.

It will be apparent from the above that the jacks 93 move laterally and the jack cam guides Hi2 move vertically. The lack guides, being reciprocated vertically in the slots in the fixed cylinders 84, 98, will reciprocate the jacks laterally due to the inclined central bodies IEM which thereby act as cams for this purpose, and therefore each warp thread will be thus passed back and forth between a pair of needles. This motion of the jacks thus provides a double oifset loop or right and left loops in each warp in adjacent courses and partially forming two wales with each warp.

To vertically reciprocate the jack cam guides I provide a pair of jack guide cam rings which rotate about an axis coinciding with that of the needle cam ring. Upper cams H8 are mounted to depend from the upper cam ring I29 which is suspended at diametrically opposite points on rollers I22 journaled on brackets E24, the latter being mounted on brackets 44 and 58. Upper cams H8 are provided with. inclined surfaces to depress the jack guides, while lowercams are shaped to raise the guides. The lower guides are mounted on a lower cam ring lZ'B and alternate with the upper cams in a vertical direction, see Figs. 1 and '7. The lower cams may be provided with rearward extensions I30 to prevent dropping of the guides.

Both upper and lower guide cam rings are toothed on their outer peripheries, as shown, to mesh with spur gears I32, respectively, both of which are fast to a single shaft I35 journaled in bracket arms l38 on support MB. Another ring M2, also toothed, is mounted on a series of brackets M4, bolted to the needle cam ring 12 to rotate therewith, so that the ring M2 is positively driven. A third gear M6 on shaft I36 meshes with the teeth on ring M2 to drive jack guide cam rings l 2Q, I28 at the same speed. Gears E32 and I 34 are flanged to aid in supporting the guide cam rings.

Gears 2B and H1 rotate the needle cam ring, ring on, shaft 35, and the upper and lower cam rings E28, M3, thus vertically reciprocating the guides Hi2 and thereby laterally reciprocating the jacks se.

The needle action is conventional and it is thought that the needle cams need not be further illustrated. These cams reciprocate the needles in the usual manner, and the needles are raised and lowered one cycle for each shift of the jacks. Thus, the needles being fed, the jacks operatively associated therewith are shifted, say to the left, to bring the warp threads to certain needles, whereupon the needles continue their feeding movement to form the conventional loops in the,

wefts and the warp loops. On the next needle feed, the jacks are shifted again to original position and the needles again operate, repeating the weft loops, but this time the warp loops are formed on needles to the right of the needles forming the just prior warp loops, as respects each warp thread. This action is repeated to form the fabric with the double oifset right and left warp loops in combination with the usual weft loops. The shift of the jacks depends on the angle of inclination of the jack guide bodies above described, and the degree of shift determines the needles engaging the ways threads, so that by a variation in inclination of the jack cam guides, a single warp thread may be alternated between adjacent needles, or between needles having a space therebetween, or between needles spaced by one or more needles. In brief, each warp jack passes its thread from one to another needle and back again and repeat, and therefore a fabric having conventional loops, and interengaged double offset warp loops is provided. Figs. 13 to 17 inclusive show the action of the warp jacks with relation to the needles. Fig. 13 illustrates a complete cycle and the needles are shown in a rising and falling movement as occasioned by the needle cams. Section A of 13 corresponds to Fig. 14 wherein the jacks are stationary and as to the left hand needle in Fig. 14 the latch closes On the warp thread and the weft is cast off. The right hand needle casts on both the weft and the warp. Section B of Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 15 and shows the needles up and the jack moved to the right. The left hand needle has now formed a loop with the warp and the right hand needle having previously cast off, re ceives the warp thread. In this position of the needles, the latches of course are open. Section A of Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 16 wherein the needles are down and the latches are closed, the

jack remaining in the same position as in Fig. 15. In this case the left hand needle casts off both weft and warp and the right hand needle latch closes on the warp and casts off the weft. Section B of Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 17 wherein the needles are again up with the latches open, and the warp is fed to the left hand needle. Were the diagram to be continued to the right, section A of Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 would be repeated, etc.

I intend to knit a filler into the fabric for blanket cloth, overcoatings, and allied heavier goods, and I therefore provide guides for laying in such a filler in each course. These guides do not form a part of the present invention however, and in fact known devices of this character can be used, as disclosed in my above identified patent.

Reference is hereby made to my copending application S. N. 402,293, filed July 14, 1941, Patent No. 2,346,159, dated April 11, 1944, for illustration of the cloth knitted by the present machine.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. A knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a needle cam ring, means to rotate the ring, a fixed cylinder, slots in the cylinder, jack cams in the slots for reciprocable motion therein, further cams to reciprocate the jack cams, jacks mounted in the fixed cylinder for movement therein, said jack cams moving the jacks, and cam rings rotatable to reciprocate the jack cams, said last named cam rings having driving connections from the first named ring.

2. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles in said cylinder, and needle cam means operatively arranged therewith, warp thread guiding jacks movable circumferentially of the needle cylinder, means to reciprocate the jacks, said means comprising a cam for each jack, each jack cam being movable relative to its jack to effect the reciprocation thereof, and further cams for moving the jack cams.

3. A warp knitting machine comprising a sequence of needles in line, cam means for actuating the needles, warp jacks reciprocable transversely of the needles and parallel to the line of needles, jack cams operatively arranged relative to the jacks, said jack cams being reciprocable to impart the reciprocating movement to the jacks, and successive cams for reciprocating the jack cams.

.1 FRANK J. FORD. 

